As we prepare for the 2017 MENAP forum, I was asked to write an article about the region that would pique interest, particularly from a researcher’s perspective. I blithely accepted this task; after all, I have been involved in conducting research across MENAP for nearly 25 years – I have seen a lot. I have done a lot. The task, however, is formidable. Collapsing the region into a tidy five letter acronym belies its scale, complexity, diversity, and historical richness.

Last week ESOMAR held the annual MENAP Forum in Dubai, bringing together the best in research knowledge and beyond to share cutting edge techniques and strengthen the local industry as a community. RW Connect blogger and Managing Director of our media partner Insight MEA reports on the event.

I made an interesting observation while running training programs for market researchers in the Middle East. When I presented business issues and asked participants about the optimal approach to address each of them, conducting a survey often ended up being an only proposed option. This reflects an industry fundamental tenet that we need to collect data in order to gain insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors. While survey research is needed to address many business issues, researchers need to keep in mind that emergence of big data phenomenon is set to reduce our reliance on data collection.

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